The present invention relates generally to satellite systems, and more particularly, relates to monitoring satellite signal deformation.
Pilots typically use landing navigation systems when they are landing an aircraft. These systems assist the pilot in maintaining the aircraft along a predetermined glide path associated with a particular landing strip or runway. In general, ground-based navigational systems are employed. Two common ground-based navigation systems currently in use are the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and the Microwave Landing System (MLS).
Due to limitations in the ILS and MLS Systems, including cost and single approach limitations, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is transitioning the National Airspace System (NAS) from ground-based navigational systems to satellite-based navigational systems. In this endeavor, the FAA, with assistance from industry, is developing a Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) to provide a satellite-based landing solution, which is designed to assist the pilot during approach and landing of an aircraft.
The LAAS uses a differential global positioning system (DGPS). The DGPS includes a global positioning system (GPS) and at least one ground station. The GPS uses a number of orbiting satellites and a receiver on an aircraft to determine the position of the aircraft with respect to ground. With the satellite information, the receiver can determine the position, speed, and altitude of the aircraft. By adding a ground station, the DGPS can correct errors that may occur in the transmission of data from the satellites to the receiver. As a result the DGPS can determine the position of the aircraft with a high degree of accuracy.
In 1998, the FAA initiated a program to develop requirements for developing and deploying a LAAS Ground Facility (LGF). The LGF will monitor the satellite constellation, provide the LAAS corrections and integrity data, and provide approach data to and interface with air traffic control. As a result of this program, the FAA released Specification FAA-E-2937A, for a Category I LGF on Apr. 17, 2002, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. This specification establishes the performance requirements for the LGF.
The LGF specification has identified signal deformation as a threat to the LGF that must be handled to ensure accuracy and integrity of the LAAS. Satellite signal deformations that occur in the front end of the receiver (i.e. before digitization in a receiver) typically can be ignored since they are common to all satellites. However, this front end signal deformation may bias correlation measurements used for monitoring signal deformation. Experimental data has shown that there is a variation between individual receivers of the same type and over time due to temperature variations. To avoid having to characterize every individual receiver over the operational temperature range it would be beneficial to have a method of monitoring satellite signal deformation that corrects for bias to the correlation measurements caused by the front end signal deformation.